The State government has readied its own rescue and relief operations team on the lines of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to reach out to people during calamities such as floods and building collapses, according to Revenue Minister R. Ashok.
Announcing this in Bengaluru on Friday, Mr. Ashok said the team has 200 members, who will be located in four different locations in the State, including Bengaluru and Hubballi. The team will ensure that precious time is not lost during emergencies by immediately taking up relief and rescue operations before the NDRF arrives, he said. Teams will also be formed in 19 major government departments, including Health, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, to help in operations in a professional way in their respective departments during a crisis, he said.
Personnel from Fire and Police departments are being hired for the departmental teams. Apart from training manpower, the government is also trying to procure necessary equipment with central aid.
The government had also constituted a State Disaster Management Committee to look into serious situations, such as floods. Similar committees would be formed at all the districts, he said.
Mr. Ashok said the government was in the process of preparing the report on losses related to the second phase of heavy rains in the State. This would be submitted in Delhi for central aid and victims would be given compensation similar to what had already been given to victims in the first phase of rains, he said.
